A$AP Rocky Pleads Not Guilty in Swedish Court

American rapper, A$AP Rocky, entered a plea of “not guilty” to assault charges as his trial started in a Swedish court on Tuesday, 30 July.

The 30-year-old songwriter – whose real name is Rakim Mayers – has been in custody since 3 July whilst authorities looked into the street fight he was allegedly part of on 30 June.

As per reports, two fans followed him for several blocks before he requested they leave him alone. A fight broke out shortly thereafter.

The brawl in Stockholm was caught on security cameras and witnesses’ cell phones, and allegedly shows Mayers roughly throwing one of the fans – 19-year-old Mustafa Jafari – to the ground, followed by three members of the rapper’s entourage punching and kicking the youth.

The trial has become so highly-charged that US President Donald Trump reached out to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, asking him to intervene but Lofven refused to unduly influence the case.

Social media has largely sided with the embattled Mayer, and groups on Twitter have been using the hashtag “#FreeRocky” to show support.